Packages



y 5, .1954 M. E. STANLEY 3,131,808

PACKAGES Filed March 27, 1962 I? INVENTOR [III/[Eli 2 MARY E. STANLEY United States Patent Ofi ice 3,131,808 Patented May 5., 1964 3,131,845? PACKAGES E. Stanley, PA). 1'75, Buckingham, Nfi. Filed Mar. 27, 1%2, Ser. No. 182,794 3 Claims. (Q1. 2436-4552) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in the art of packaging and more particularly, the invention concerns itself with an improved package having a baseboard, a cover and means removably connecting the cover to the baseboard. The principal object of the invention is to provide improved, novel connecting means whereby the cover and the baseboard are securely held together, but whereby the cover may be quickly and easily removed from the baseboard when so desired.

One example of an environment in which the invention may be used is in the packaging of ornamental cake platters of the general type disclosed in my Patents No. 2,552,- 297 dated May 8, 1951, and No. 2,610,111 dated Septemher 9, 1952. These patents show a cake platter which includes a relatively stifi baseboard with one or more annular ruffles secured to the marginal ed e portion of the baseboard and projecting beyond the marginal edge, the ruiiies surrounding a cake positioned on the center portion of the board and producing a highly esthetic, ornamental efiect. When platters of this type are shipped, for example to a bakery where they are to be used, considerable care must be exercised in packaging them for shipment, so that the ruffles thereof do not become crushed or otherwise mutilated. In this regard it will be appreciated that the rufiies project both upwardly from the baseboard as well as radially outwardly beyond its marginal edge, so that in proper packaging the rufiies must be protected against forces acting in both vertical and horizontal directions.

Briefly, the improved package in accordance with this invention involves the provision of a baseboard which is somewhat larger than the intended size of the platter of which the baseboard is a part. The rufiies are secured to the baseboard so that they are fully contained within its marginal edge, and a protective cover is applied to the baseboard over the ruffles. The marginal edges of the baseboard and cover are connected together and rupturable means are provided in the baseboard in inwardly spaced relation from its marginal edge, whereby the marginal edge portion of the baseboard and the cover connected thereto may be quickly and easily removed when the platter is to be used.

The cover is preferably made of transparent material so that the platter thereunder is visible and, of course, the provision of the cover together with the removable marginal edge portion of the baseboard effectively safeguards the ruffles of the platter from damage during shipment. Moreover, the cover protects the platter against soiling, thus assuring that the platter is in a sanitary condition when it is to be used. In some instances it may be desirable to use the platter without removing the cover, so that the ruiiies do not become deposited with cake icing, or the like.

The improved package as thus far described is of a type wherein the platter in efiect is the packaged product and a component of the package. However, the use of the invention is also applicable where the packaged product is a cake, for example, already in position on the platter of the package, in which event the cake is also protectively enclosed by the cover, as will be hereinafter more fully described. 7

It is to be particularly noted that although the invention is primarily intended for packaging of cake platters and cake platters with cakes, or the like thereon, the teachings of the invention are applicable to packaging broadly,

where a package including a baseboard and a removable cover is involved.

With the foregoing more important object and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent from the following disclosure, the invention will be understood with reference to the following description and to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a platter package in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary edge view, taken in the direction of the arrow 4 in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view, similar to that shown in FIG- URE 3, but with the cover removed;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to that shown in FIGURE 3 but illustrating a modified arrangement of the invention wherein the cover also encloses a cake in position on the platter;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the baseboard, with a rip cord; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken substantially along the line 88 in FIGURE 7.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to FIGURES 15, the platter package in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the numeral 15} and embodies in its construction a baseboard 11 formed from relatively stitf material such as cardboard, or the like. For illustrative purposes the base board is shown as being circular, although it may have any other suitable configuration. The baseboard has an outer marginal edge 12 and is provided in inwardly spaced relation from this marginal edge with a plurality of arcuate slits 13. These are concentric with the outer edge 12 and have spaced apart adjacent ends, providing regions of weakness or rupturable lands l4 therebetween, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 2. It will be apparent that upon cutting or otherwise rupturing the lands 14, the outer marginal edge portion or ring 11a of the baseboard 11 may be removed from its inner or central portion 11b, thus leaving the central portion 1117 with an exposed marginal edge 1'5.

The central portion 11b of the baseboard constitutes the base of the platter itself, comparable to that shown in my two aforementioned patents. This platter is provided with an ornamental annular ruflle 16 which is secured .to the baseboard portion 11b, as for example, by a continuous line of stitching 17, spaced inwardly from the slits 13. A suitable doily 18 may be superposed on the baseboad portion 1112 so as to overlap the inner edge portion of the rufiie 16 and conceal the stitching 17, the doily being suitably held in place, as for example, by adhesive. It will be understood that the platter, constituted by the baseboard center portion 11b, the ruffle 16 and the doily 18, is disclosed herein for illustrative purposes only as a component of the package in accordance with the invention. As a practical matter, the structure of the platter itself may vary, for example, either of the platters shown in my aforementioned patents may be used, but it is to be observed that in any instance, the crufiie '16 projects outwardly beyond the marginal edge. 15 of the baseboard portion 1112 when the ring portion .hla is removed. However, when the ring portion is in place, the rufile 16 lies entirely within the outer marginal edge 12 and is thereby effectively protected against crushing or multilation inasmuch as the ring portion 11a is disposed thereunder.

The rufiie 16 also projects upwardly from the baseboard and is further protected by a cover 19 which is preferably formed from transparent plastic material. The cover 19 has a depressed center portion 20 which is superposed on the dolly 1 8, a raised rim portion 21 which protectively encloses the ruffle .16, and an in-turned flange 22 which is turned .under the marginal edge 12 of the baseboard ring portion 11a so as to securely. lock the cover in place, as is best shown in FIGURE 3. As thus arranged, the package with the platter as a component thereof may: be shipped and handled while the cover 19 safeguards the platter against soiling and whilethe ruflle 1d of the platter is-protected against mutilation by both the cover and the baseboard-ring 11a, Indeed, the platter may he used as a such without removing the cover, in which event a cake,

or, the like, may be placed directly on the depressed center portion 20. of the cover.

Alternatively, before theplatter is used the cover may be removed, which is effected by simply rupturing the lands14 'ofthe baseboard 11 and .liftingthe cover 19 together with the thus separated baseboard ring 11a from the central portion 11b, the lifting of the ring 11a with the cover being facilitated by the inturned flange 22 of the cover which underlies the ring. The ruflle 16, of course, if sufiiciently' flexible that the ring 11a may be passed upwardly over the same while the cover is being removed. j

For purposes of reinforcement as well as ornamentation, thecenter portion 20 of the cover 19 may be p'roj vided with embossed ribs 23," as shown in FIGURE 1.

The rupturable line of weakness in the baseboard 11, as provided by the slits 13 and lands 14 may also be in the form of a simple line of perforations or, asshown in FIGURES 7 and 8, a rip cord 24 may be threaded through a line of perforations 25 in the baseboard. One

end of the cord may be suitably anchored as at 26, while its other end 24:: may be left loose so that it may be pulled torupture the baseboard between the perforations for separating the ring 11a from the center portion 11b. The rip cord structure just described may be used in the embodiment of FIGURES 1-5 in place of the slits 13 and, lands 14, or in a modified embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 6 in which the package, in addition to the platter, also includes a cake 27, or the like, positioned on the platter. In such event the cover 19a may be dome-shaped as shown and large enough to enclose the cake, but removal of the cover with the ring portion 11a will, of course, render the cake accessible. The provision of the rip cord 24 in this embodiment of the invention will permit separation of the ring 11a by manipulation of the rip cord with one hand while the baseboard central portion 11b is held uplifted by the other, so that it is not necessary to invert the entire package in order to separate the baseboard ring 11a.

The attachment of the cover 19 (or 19a) to the baseboardllby means of the inturned flange 22 is a critical feature of the invention, since the cover is held in place by the inturned flange without being crimped, glued, snap-fitted or stitched in place. The cover is made of suitablethermoplastic material and before being applied to the baseboard it is formed to the required shape, with exception of the flange 22'which is initially straight or perpendicular, as indicated by the dotted lines 22 in FIGURE 3. The cover is applied to the baseboard in an especially constructed machine wherein the cover is supported in an inverted position, the baseboard in an inverted position is placed on top of the cover, and a heated pressure plate or formingmold of the machine is brought down into engagement with the perpendicular edge portion 22'. of the cover. The heated forming mold of the machine causes theredge portion 22' of the thermoplastic cover to first curl inwardly as indicated by the dotted lines 22" in FIGURE 3 and then to assume the ultimate fiat and inturned form of the flange 22, as shown by the full lines. During the transition of the edge portion 22"through the curled form 22" to the inturned flange and various modifications may be resorted to, falling within thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a package, the combination of a baseboard having a marginal edge and provided in inwardly spaced relation from said marginal edge with rupturable means whereby the marginal edge portion of the baseboard may be separated from its central portion, said rupturable means being constituted by slits in said baseboard, said slits having spaced adjacent ends providing rupturable lands therebetweema cover for said baseboard, said cover embracing the marginal edge of the baseboard and being removable with said marginal edge portion from the central portion of the baseboard, said central portion of said baseboard constituting a platter, and an ornamental ruffle provided on said platter, said ruffle projecting outwardly beyond said rupturable means of the baseboard and said marginal edge portion of the baseboard protectively underlying the projecting portion of said ruflle.

includes a depressed center portion superposed. onthe center portion of the baseboard, and a raised marginal rim protectively enclosing said ruflie.

' baseboard.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 together with an inturned flange provided on the marginal rim of said cover and underlying the marginal edge portion of said baseboard whereby to lock the cover in position on the 4. In a'package, the combination of a baseboard having a marginal edge and provided in inwardly spaced relation from said marginal edge with rupturable means whereby a ring-like marginal edge portion of the baseboard may be separated from its central portion, said rupturable means being constituted by slits in said baseboard, said slits having spaced adjacent ends providing rupturable lands therebetween, said central portion constituting a platter, an ornamental rufiie secured to said platter and projecting outwardly beyond said rupturable means, said ruffle being contained Wholly within said marginal edge of the baseboard and said ring-like baseboard portion protectively underlying the projecting portion of said ruflie, and a cover superposed on said baseboard and protectively enclosing said ruflle, said cover embracing the marginal edge of the baseboard and upon rupture of said rupturable means being removable with said ring-like portion from the baseboard. e

5. The device as defined in claim 4 together with an inturned flange provided on said cover and underlying said ring-like baseboard portionto lock the cover in position.

. 6. The device as defined in claim 4 together with a platter and enclosed portion outside of the line of perforations and a platter- I like central portion circumscribed by the line of 'perforations, the perforations in said line being spaced from one another and providing rupturable lands therebetween whereby said marginal edge portion may be separated from said central portion when said lands are ruptured,

an ornamental ruflie provided on said platter-like central 5 6 portion of said baseboard, said ruffle projecting outwardly rip cord threaded through the perforations in said line beyond said line of perforations and said marginal edge and operable to rupture Said lands thefebetweenportion of the baseboard protectlvely underlying the pro- References Cited in the file of this Patent jecting portion of said ruflie, and a cover for said baseboard, said cover being connected to said marginal edge 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS portion and removable therewith from the central portion of the baseboard.

2,326,014 Damrow Aug. 3, 1943 8. The device as defined 1n clarm 7 together W1th a 2,673,806 Colman Man 30 1954 

1. IN A PACKAGE, THE COMBINATION OF A BASEBOARD HAVING A MARGINAL EDGE AND PROVIDED IN INWARDLY SPACED RELATION FROM SAID MARGINAL EDGE WITH RUPTURABLE MEANS WHEREBY THE MARGINAL EDGE PORTION OF THE BASEBOARD MAY BE SEPARATED FROM ITS CENTRAL PORTION, SAID RUPTURABLE MEANS BEING CONSTITUTED BY SLITS IN SAID BASEBOARD, SAID SLITS HAVING SPACED ADJACENT ENDS PROVIDING RUPTURABLE LANDS THEREBETWEEN, A COVER FOR SAID BASEBOARD, SAID COVER EMBRACING THE MARGINAL EDGE OF THE BASEBOARD AND BEING REMOVABLE WITH SAID MARGINAL EDGE PORTION FROM THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE BASEBOARD, SAID CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BASEBOARD CONSTITUTING A PLATTER, AND AN ORNAMENTAL RUFFLE PROVIDED ON SAID PLATTER, SAID RUFFLE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID RUPTURABLE MEANS OF THE BASEBOARD AND SAID MARGINAL EDGE PORTION OF THE BASEBOARD PROTECTIVELY UNDERLYING THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID RUFFLE. 